Thursday, September 3, 2009

tips here...walaupun lmbat..hehe

Here are some simple guidelines to make sure that your diet remains balanced and healthy during this fasting period:


Don't skip breakfast (Suhoor)

Even though sleep may seem far more appealing than waking up to force down some food, don't skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research has shown that breakfast provides the essential energy and nutrients needed for concentration, while keeping hunger symptoms like headaches, fatigue, drowsiness and restlessness at bay. In addition, it speeds our metabolic rates. It is therefore vital to ensure an adequate intake at breakfast time.


Eat a wide variety of foods

When your daily intake is limited to two meals per day, you need to put extra effort into including foods from all the food groups. Our bodies need at least 40 different nutrients daily, to ensure that we grow properly and maintain good health. Although most foods contain more than one nutrient, no single food provides all the necessary nutrients. Moreover, foods have benefits that can't be replicated by a pill. So it is important to eat a wide variety of foods every day, to ensure that we get all of these nutrients. Select foods each day from each of the five food groups:

· Breads, cereals and other grain products

· Fruit and vegetables

· Meat, fish and poultry

· Milk, cheese and yoghurt

· Fats and sugars (these are low in nutrients & high in calories, so limit intake!)


Eat low glycaemic (GI) foods at breakfast to help control blood sugar levels

Carbohydrates are classified according to their glucose response or glyceamic index (GI). The GI measures how fast the carbohydrate of a particular food is converted to glucose and enters the bloodstream. The lower the GI, the slower the food is converted to sugar and the longer it satisfies your hunger. Selecting low GI foods helps maintain normal blood sugar, minimises hunger pangs & satisfies appetite without providing excess calories. Also, by controlling blood sugar levels, you prevent excessive eating binges as a result of low blood sugar levels. Remember to include low GI foods at each meal, and to avoid eating high GI foods on their own, but rather to mix them with low GI foods, which will give an intermediate GI overall.


Be aware of your cooking methods

By making small changes in your cooking habits, you can create great-tasting foods that are also healthy for you. Many of those treasured family-favourite recipes have a very high fat content for today's health-conscious living. Don't give up on your favourites – just convert them! Here's how:

· Always trim off excess fat from before cooking, or use venison, chicken and soya as lower fat options. Remove poultry skin & choose light meat (eg. breast).

· Cut down on fat intake during cooking:

- cook onions in a little water or vegetable stock rather than oil or butter

- use non-stick frying pans & non-stick sprays rather than oil or margarine

- bake, grill or roast foods rather than frying

- cook roasted meat or poultry on a wire rack so that the fat can drip off

- Steam or boil vegetables

- when preparing rice, noodles & other grains, season with herbs, spices & broths rather than added fat

- prepare soups, gravies & sauces in advance, so that they can be refrigerated, allowing you to remove the layer of fat that forms on top.

- Use herbs and spices to add flavour & zest to low-fat cooking. Basil, bay leaf, oregano, & rosemary add distinctive flavours & colours to meat & vegetables. Spices, like cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg enhance the sweet taste of foods, & seasoning blends, such as chilli powder, curry powder provide a complex array of flavours

· Avoid taking in too much salt

- Use garlic, dry mustard, pepper, onions, mushrooms & tomatoes to add flavour to meat and vegetables

- Add sliced lemon or lemon juice to white meats & fish

· Make healthy changes to recipes

Cut the fat in half - if a recipe requires cream or whole milk, use evaporated or fresh skim milk. If a recipe requires a whole egg, use two egg whites, etc.


Eat enough carbohydrate foods - especially those rich in fibre

These foods provide the body with energy. They are rich in B vitamins, and are an excellent source of fibre. Hi-fibre foods also fill you up more than low-fibre counterparts. Foods high in fibre include brown rice, wholegrains, fresh fruit and raw veggies.


Remember your fruits and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables add colour and variety to the menu. They are "protective" foods as they help the body fight off sickness and disease. They are also rich sources of a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and are low in calories.


Drink sufficient fluid

Always include water in your diet, and cut down on caffeine-containing beverages. Caffeine is a diuretic and will not provide adequate hydration.



We all know that maintaining a balanced diet by eating healthily has a vital influence on your well being. Try following the above principles so that this fast period does not sway too much from the principles of good nutrition.

salam merdeka ke-52

salam merdeka semua walaupun agak terlewat..
tapi rasanya xde la lewat sangat sebab bulan September juga adalah bulan pembentukan negara Malaysia..so, still relevant for me to wish happy 52nd merdeka to all malaysians..hehe
pejam celik pejam celik sudah 52 tahun negara mencapai kemerdekaan..
tp setiap kali menjelangnya tarikh kemerdekaan aku sering tertanya2 apakah erti merdeka sebenarnya...??
adakah aku sudah merdeka...??
kalau sudah, dari segi apa...??? dan kalau belum, bila agaknya aku mampu mengecapi kemerdekaan..?? sempatkah...??
apabila terlampau banyak memikirkannya, aku jadi keliru sendiri..

bagi aku, merdeka ini banyak ertinya..setiap orang memahaminya dengan cara yang berbeza.. mereka mempunyai erti kemerdekaan mereka yang tersendiri...kadang2 aku terfikir..betulkah negara kita sudah merdeka..?? mungkin dari segi penjajahan fizikal, kita sememangnya telah merdeka..tapi bagaimana dengan aspek pemikiran..??aku percaya minda kita masih lagi terjajah oleh anasir2 luar...aku bukanlah mengata kepada orang lain, tetapi lebih kepada diri aku sendiri..
saban hari, dalam kehidupan aku...aku lebih banyak mendengar lagu luar negara berbanding lagu negara sendiri..ini hanyalah contoh kecil sbbnya aku memang suka dengar muzik..hehe..begitu juga dengan filem2, drama2 dan sinetron2...produk luar negara lebih banyak daripada produk tempatan...apakah ini yang dinamakan 'merdeka'..?kenapa aku kaitkan dengan filem & muzik..??? mesti ada yang tertanya2....yelah kan..saban tahun apabila tibanya hari kemerdekaan, pastinya banyak konsert diadakan untuk meraikan hari kebangsaan negara kita..tapi bukan lagu beridentitikan kebangsaan atau perjuangan yang didendangkan..,tapi lagu2 biasa yang sememangnya saban hari dimainkan oleh stesen radio tempatan..kenapa perlunya diraikan hari kemerdekaan dengan konsert2 ini...??kenapa tidak diadakan solat hajat dan solat sunat syukur sahaja sebagai tanda kesyukuran negara kita telah bebas daripada penjajah, seterusnya dapat menjalani kehidupan kita dengan lebih sempurna..secara kebetulannya pada tahun ini, hari merdeka jatuh pada bulan ramadhan..so, for sure any kind of entertainment has been stopped for a while as the celebration..Thank God...:)
erm..,apa la yang aku melaut ni eh...?? xpe la, sambung balik next entri la..

akhir kata,
salam merdeka ke 52..
terima kasih Ya Allah kerana memakmurkan negara ini dan masyarakatnya..
terima kasih juga atas semua kurniaan-Nya..
have a nice day to all of you...:)))